Lupi 08 - Death Magic

constructs. I don’t know how temporary, but it’s probably related to power. The more power poured into them, the longer they’d last.”
    That made sense. “And this amulet we’re assuming Rethna made. The thing that makes dopplegängers. It wouldn’t be a one-shot deal, would it? They can make more dopplegängers. But would they be more Idas and Rubens? Can they change the setting on the amulet to make dopplegängers of other people? Or do they have more than one amulet, with each one set to a specific dopplegänger?”
    Cullen frowned. “Hmm. I think the amulet could be reset each time it’s used. No, I think it would have to be. I suspect the amulet does the heavy lifting—the parts of the spell no one here would be able to handle. Whoever uses it supplies part of the spell, though—probably through a fairly simple ritual—as well as the blood or tissue from whoever they’re copying. The user would need to be Gifted and have some knowledge of spellwork. Not a lot, maybe, but some. I’m sure about the tissue and blood part,” he added. “That’s definitely part of the spell or ritual. The rest is guesswork.”
    Rule asked, “Would they need to do the ritual with the artifact at the same time they killed to create the death magic they need? Does it all happen in one location, all at the same time?”
    “The artifact would’ve been the focus of the death magic ritual, the place their leader directed the power. The ritual invoking the amulet could be done at any time after it was charged. If Rethna was an adept, we have to assume he could make an amulet that stored power well. The one real limit is on how long the dopplegängers last. No, there are two limits. First, our bad guy had to be in Headquarters, probably on Ruben’s floor, when he invoked it. Second, there’s timing. Unless you’ve got a constant power source—like ritually killing people every hour or something—any dopplegängers you make are going to be short-lived. Or so I think. I don’t—”
    His phone chimed. He took it out, glanced at it. “José says the rental car I sent for is out front. I’d better go. I have to drive the rental company guy back to their lot, wherever that is, before I head to the bank. You got so surly when I used yours last time,” he said, rising and slipping his phone back in his pocket. “I thought I’d better get my own wheels—on your dime, of course.”
    “Of course. You’re here on clan business.”
    Cullen grinned. “Who says I can’t be considerate? I was frugal, too, and passed on the Ferrari.”
    “You’ll take a guard with you.”
    Cullen stopped. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
    “Our enemies want you dead. You’re still injured. You do a good job of hiding it, but you are. You’ll take a guard with you.”
    Rule was using his mantle voice. Lily couldn’t feel it the way Cullen undoubtedly did. Cullen managed to argue anyway. “You don’t have enough guards here as it is.”
    “More are on the way. Leidolf, since they’re close. I called Alex this morning.” Rule had his phone out. He tapped the screen a few times. “José has assigned Steve to you. He’ll meet you out front.”
    Cullen rolled his eyes. “All right, but I drive. Oh. I almost forgot. I don’t know that it will help, but there’s one other thing you might need to know. The tissue or blood used to make a dopplegänger has to come from a living person. Or bumblebee, as the case may be.”
    “I don’t see how that’s significant,” Rule said.
    Cullen shrugged. “I don’t, either, but—”
    “I do.” Lily’s hands were cold. Her stomach was knotted. “I think I do.” She looked at Rule. “You remember I couldn’t figure out why I was put in that particular jail. Why was it suddenly best to get me locked up instead of killing me? It’s almost always easier to kill someone than to frame them. I couldn’t figure it out.”
    Rule didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. The tightness in his face said he was following her very well.
    “That jail has a policy,” she went on. “Everyone—even those just in holding—are tested for HIV. They took blood from me.”

THIRTY-TWO
     

     
    TWENTY minutes later, Cullen was gone, eager to get his hands on Fagin’s translation of the grimoire. Karonski was gone, too, after calling the jail to ask about Lily’s blood sample. Surprise! No one could find it. He’d headed out to lean on them, see if he could find out who might have swiped